Sheffield Wednesday 0 Burnley 2: Owls err at both ends of the pitch and are ruthlessly punished as Clarets go top
AGAINST the very best sides in the division, you have to be on point and pretty much faultless at both ends of the pitch.
Unfortunately, Sheffield Wednesday most definitely weren’t.
Either side of Burnley’s two strikes, they fatally erred in front of their opponents’ goal.
When the Clarets, who moved to the summit with victory - with their big following chanting ‘champions again, ole ole’ when they were enjoying themselves at one particular second-half juncture - were presented with opportunities themselves not long after following some pretty sloppy Wednesday defending, they were rather more sure-footed.
A first goal of the campaign on 37 minutes from former Leeds United loanee Jaiden Anthony put the Clarets on their way following poor defending by Yan Valery.
A fifth goal of the season from captain Josh Brownhill early in the second period after some questionable decision-making ahead of it provided the Lancastrians with a two-goal buffer.
Given Burnley’s excellent defensive record, the game was as good as done. Their mini tour of Yorkshire continues on Wednesday at Hull.
They have already posted two wins and two clean sheets against Leeds and the Owls with the Clarets continuing to do what they do at this level.
The two main talking points of the first period arrived pretty close together.
Wednesday, clawing their way back after a bit of threat and control from Burnley, led by Josh Laurent, contrived to spurn a glorious chance to make the breakthrough just after the half-hour mark.
Ike Ugo was presented with the sort of chance that all strikers keen to get off the mark in a season in October hanker for. Unfortunately, his point-blank header after being picked out by Barry Bannan’s pinpoint delivery from the left had too much beef and flew over instead of nestling in the net. He was agitated and so were three-quarters of the crowd.
Burnley weren’t so charitable, although Valery was. His radar was decidedly wonky in failing to clear a routine pass forward from CJ Egan-Riley. Anthony couldn’t believe his luck and raced clear and tucked the ball past James Beadle, nicely.
Both sides looked in decent order early on. Burnley, slowly, wrestled a bit of control, but Wednesday did threaten in transition.
The first chance of sorts was a Wednesday one. Olaf Kobacki, restored to the starting line-up alongside Ugbo, worked it well before supplying the onrushing Pol Valentin - with Clarets keeper James Trafford getting his angles and decision-making right to race out and make an important block.
Ugbo then agonisingly just failed to get the final touch to a dangerous centre from Valentin - his angst would intensify later.
The Owls survived a scare when a quickly-taken free-kick ended in Brownhill unleashing a powerful low shot which took a significant deflection off Akin Famewo. Mercifully, it flew wide, instead of into the net, but not by too much.
Ugbo then was left to curse after his wayward moment before Trafford grasped a low shot from Kobacki. The major development then arrived in front of the Kop in Beadle’s goal.
On the restart, another key spell of action soon went against Wednesday for a second time.
Their early intent was stirring. Shea Charles picked out Valentin, close to the byline. His low centre just needed someone there in blue and white to tap in. No-one was there.
Moments later, Gassama went down under pressure from Maxime Esteve in a decent penalty shout. Michael Salisbury, in a good position, wasn’t interested.
Salt arrived when Burnley grabbed their second goal.
Sloppiness let in Zian Flemming, with Beadle racing out to make an important save at the feet of the former Millwall player.
Unfortunately the loose ball was picked up by the supporting Brownhill, who fired home, despite the efforts of Famewo on the line.
It understandably deflated the vast majority of home supporters with Burnley comprehensively now in control.
Changes were made in time, but the game had already been killed pretty stone dead, in truth.
That fact that the midfield axis of Bannan and Charles were among replacements in the final quarter said as much, with Danny Rohl seeming to protect his key duo.
Before then, Burnley should have had a third with Laurent heading wide in front of goal after being supplied by a fine cross from Brownhill.
They went close again later on, with substitute Jeremy Sarmiento’s follow-up hitting the post after Beadle made a superb save to keep out Flemming’s free-kick.
In fairness, Wednesday pushed for a consolation.
Di’Shon Bernard headed straight at Trafford, while replacement Svante Ingelsson nodded wide. Another sub in Michael Smith missed a sitter. It wasn’t the hosts’ day.
There was time for one late piece of animation. It came amid a bit of a perplexed reaction from Wednesdayites after Valery was named as the man-of-the-match.
Sheffield Wednesday: Beadle; Valery, Bernard, Famewo; Valentin (Ingelsson 61), S Charles (Palmer 73), Bannan (J Lowe 73), Johnson; Gassama, Kobacki (Musaba 61), Ugbo (Smith 73). Substitutes unused: P Charles, M Lowe, Iorfa, McNeill.
Burnley: Trafford; Roberts, Egan-Riley, Esteve, Humphreys; Laurent, Cullen (Massengo 89); Kolescho (Sarmiento 75), Brownhill, Anthony (Egan 93); Fleming. Substitutes unused: Hladky, Rodriguez, Pires, Hannibal, Hountondji, Massengo, Agyei.
Referee: M Salisbury (Lancs).
Attendance: 28,105